This virtual seminar series focuses on technical topics related to terrorism risk assessment, modelling and mitigation.

The emphasis of the seminar series is on technical (STEM-related) aspects of this area, rather than social or political topics. Possible topics include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • blast modelling and response;
  • IEDs;
  • vehicles as weapons;
  • CBRN;
  • big data for risk assessment, security and screening;
  • mitigation measures.

Specific examples of topics included in the series range from single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) analysis methods for blast response to modelling the use of vehicles as weapons via vehicle-dynamics models.

Participants in the series come from various academic, research and industrial organisations, including several universities and world-wide industry partners. The focus of the seminar series is in technical, STEM-related areas of counterterrorism research, but participants may have relevant expertise in a wide variety of subject areas, ranging from engineering to insurance.

Seminars have no security classification and are open to guests from bona fide organisations; we encourage external guests with appropriate affiliations to attend.

The series is currently held in a virtual format. Face-to-face or hybrid formats may be considered in the future.

Upcoming seminars   

Behaviour of timber elements and connections subjected to blast loading (Prof Ghasan Doudak and Dr Christian Viau) - 20 April 2023

If you would like to register for the mailing list and receive seminar invitations, please complete and submit the online form.

Previous seminars 

Home-Made Explosives (HME): How to understand the threats and model the risk? (Lt Col Francis Halleux, Cranfield University) – 20 March 2023

Leakage of Blast into Structures - Are We Overestimating the Risk? (Alex Eytan, Cranfield University) – 22 February 2023

Computational approaches to genetic engineering attribution – 18 January 2023

Viper::Blast - an introduction to modern blast CFD – 8 December 2022

Towards trustworthy machine learning methods –11 November 2022

Accurate, fast and simplistic predictions of blast loads on buildings – 17 October 2022

CRIM-TRACK - portable sniffer for the detection of illicit chemicals – 1 September 2022

Development of quick-running methods for predicting blast loading in complex environments – 11 July 2022

Reasons that historical data underestimates the CBRN threat and what to do about it – 16 June 2022

Crossbows - an emerging threat? – 9 May 2022

Development of the Pitagone F11 rapid deployment system – 11 April 2022

Terrorism risk models in the insurance sector – 3 March 2022

SDOF analysis methods for blast response – 8 February 2022

Automated hostile vehicle vector analysis – 18 January 2022

Mailing list participants can request access to recordings of past seminars by emailing TRAMMSS@cranfield.ac.uk. To register for the mailing list, please complete and submit the online form.

Related academics

Chair, Dr Shaun Forth
Secretary, Dr Stephanie Burrows

Technical Committee:

Impact, Dr Rachael Hazael 
CBRN, Dr Matthew Healy
Risk and Resilience, Professor Andrew Silke
Big Data, Dr Adam Zagorecki
Vehicles, Ajay Kumar